HOW TO PREVENT SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS WITH THE RIGHT FOOTWEAR

When you’re running a business, you can’t afford to cut corners with safety. On-the-job injuries such as slips, trips and falls cost your employees their health and well-being, and they could cost you your whole business. Fortunately, most of these common slip-and-fall injuries are preventable.

Hard Costs of Safety Slip-Ups

Injuries caused by slips, trips and falls results in 8.9 million visits to the emergency room each year. With better preparation and policies, many of these accidents could be avoided, saving costs and preventing productivity dips.

Slips, trips and falls happen in every industry and every job type, but certain positions are more at risk than others, such as laborers, truck drivers and warehouse workers. 55% of falls are because of the walking surface, while 24% are attributed to footwear.

With nearly 9 million slip, trip and fall injuries occurring each year, the costs of these preventable injuries – in terms of medical fees, worker’s compensation and lost productivity - can really pile up. On average, an employee misses 38 days due to a slip, trip and fall accident and, when your business needs all hands on-deck to be successful, the loss of even a single employee for injury-related time off can really put your business in a bind.

Proper Footwear Reduces Slips, Trips and Falls

Slip, trip and fall incidents are a major factor in the bottom line of industries where the job demands heavy physical activity. However, with the proper tactics, and investing in the right personal protective equipment, you can reduce the risk of these injuries.

Obviously, the biggest preventative measure in preventing slips, trips and falls is keeping the floor hazard free. Quickly handle wet and dry spills, as even dry spills like powder are a risk. Make sure items like boxes, tape and other trip hazards are kept out of walkways.

Unfortunately, watching for and handling hazards like spills and other objects won’t prevent all accidents. Certain floors, like cement, are slick even when free of spills. Certain environments, such as refrigerated warehouses and freezers, represent a continual hazard for slips because of the way colder temperatures affect the walking surface.

The proper footwear can protect against costly accidents in these conditions.

Non-slip soles are a key component of boots and safety shoes for work. Non-slip soles should be a requirement for all footwear worn in environments prone to hazardous walking conditions because they combine special material with tread in specific designs to allow material to slip through while the soles “grip” the ground, reducing the risk of slipping.

In cold environments, however, not all outsoles are equal.

Materials used to make outsoles for traditional non-slip environments, such as restaurants, will not have the same effectiveness in cold environments. This is because the material hardens, losing the gripping powers, or cracks, allowing hazards to get caught in the sole and creating more risk for slips and trips. It’s important to use footwear with outsoles specifically designed to perform in even extreme cold temperatures – outsoles that won’t harden or crack, so they continue to provide protection against accidents.

Shop Specialized Safety Footwear

Slips, trips and falls will never be completely eradicated as a cost, but steps can be taken to reduce the impact. Though specialized footwear can represent a larger up-front investment than other footwear, the savings from workplace accidents they provide is much higher than their additional cost. The better the footwear worn by your employees, the lower the risk of slip, trip and fall accidents and the costs they bring.

Shopping for a team? If you need help selecting work boots or insulated workwear for your employees, please contact RefrigiWear Customer Service.